Salting the Earth

[Conan71]

This is the funniest. . .This is from the House website, listing all of Mr Cleaver's earmarks.  Scroll to the bottom.  The column wasn't large enough to display the number! 
http://www.house.gov/cleaver/pdf/earmarks.pdf


Oh you Libs, God bless you!

Holy crap, Cleaver is a true pro at this, attempting to sprinkle $200K here, $500K there, $300K up there.  I love the ones that are requested for community educational programs.  The funding does little more than show a lame justification to create or sustain a few government-dependent jobs.

They've been spreading the pork around high crime areas of KCMO for years and what do we have to show for it?  It's still a crime-riddled shithole.

Don't worry, I'm equal opportunity, I intend to seek out some of the real winners from Republicans as well.

[Conan71]

I like that it says "It could".

Remember, this is only phase one.  Who knows how far he could go?

We're told we vote these folks in.

Mickens sounds like a future candidate for President community organizer to me.

[Conan71]

Cleaver's list is fascinating reading: $2.4 mm for a new exhibit at the Jazz Museum, $5mm to renovate the dilapidated "Truman" courthouse in Independence.  Apparently this building does not have public restrooms, a working elevator, central air, and the boilers need to be replaced. 

"Through the years, various entities have occupied the courthouse. Currently, however, it houses only the Jackson County Historical Society office and archives, as well as a small gift shop operated by a non-profit senior citizens organization. Much of the building is vacant or used for storage. No restrooms are open to the public, nor are any compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The courthouse has no working elevator, and there is no central air conditioning in the building.

Phase III, at estimated cost of $8 million, would also restore President Truman's office and courtroom, address foundation problems and bring the space up to commercial grade under current building codes -- all while preserving the courthouse's historical integrity. 

THE FUTURE
Plans for the courthouse upon completion of the renovation would likely include a centralized Truman Visitors Center highlighting President Truman and Jackson County history, the Jackson County Historical Society and possibly a gallery featuring major pieces of local and regional art."

http://www.jacksongov.org/content/3624/default.aspx

It's a cool-looking building, but are we too sentimental to the point of our own detriment about old buildings like this with no real utilitarian purpose left in them?

There was quite a bit in Cleaver's package for flood prevention like levees and stormwater management along the Missouri River and other tributaries.  I don't have such a problem with funding issues like that as they provide for the greater good of all citizens and there is a cost-prevention as well as life-protection aspect.  It's one of the "expected services" of government.  I do have mixed feelings about how much the Feds should be on the hook for local sanitary sewer systems, I think that should be more up to the local authorities via property and sales taxes.  My reasoning is I don't see why citizens of New York City, Orlando, Tulsa, etc. should be responsible for the sanitary sewer system of Kansas City which they are essentially doing if federal dollars are used on projects like that. 

[Gaspar]

Judging from the "Quality Day Campus'" MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/qualitydaycampus/friends they could use the $48 Billion to generate some friend requests, and perhaps move their operations to Facebook.

[Gaspar]

. . .and they have plans to build a spiffy new campus with the $48 Billion.


If their's any left over they should add a parking lot!

[Gaspar]

Some more digging.  Lamar is a frequent poster on Mechelle Obama's facebook page and runs his own Facebook organization called "War on Poverty." 

He wants the money to fund a massive commercial development called the Epicenter. 100 million square feet of new commercial, retail and residential space.  He wants it to be "the worlds largest shopping center." 

Because. . .we all know that malls fight poverty.

[Red Arrow]

$4.6 M to dredge 6 ft out of Savannah River to make it easier for large cargo ships to get under the bridge and into the harbor. . .3.6 million of it is for the environmental impact study.   

I thought ships floated on water, not the river bottom.  Getting in they should be loaded and low in the water.  Getting out maybe they could take on some water to be as low as coming in.  If they cannot flood some compartments, dredging won't help.

[Gaspar]

They are going to require the bill to be read on the floor.  50 hours of reading.

Of course McConnel has introduced an alternate to the 2,000 pages and 6,500 earmarks. . .a one page bill that simply keeps funding at it's current level until February 18th when a less stupid bill can be introduced.

[Townsend]

...until February 18th when a less stupid bill can be introduced.

You really believe that?

[Gaspar]

You really believe that?

Not normally but after the introduction of this pile (to borrow a term), anything is an improvement.  This legislature has clearly raised the bar on stupid.

[dbacks fan]

From KRMG:

"KRMG BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid withdraws controversial $1.2 trillion spending bill, says he'll work with Republican leaders on smaller, short-term budget extension (Fox News)."

[heironymouspasparagus]

Raised the bar almost to the point where it was.


Kansas City gets a sewer.  Oklahoma gets a huge bulk of the disaster relief funds from the Feds.  It all evens out.

[guido911]

The porky Omnibus bill appears dead. Reid doesn't have the votes.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/255516/breaking-reid-caves-omnibus-andrew-stiles

[Red Arrow]

Not normally but after the introduction of this pile (to borrow a term), anything is an improvement. 

Never challenge "worse".

[Gaspar]

Frustrated, I love what Harry Reid said about earmarks.
"I can't understand why some of those more conservative members here want to give up their power. I don't understand that."